Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, The Pacific - WWII retold

Sidney Phillips

How Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division

"For the rest of your life, you appreciate a glass of clean water"

It was 105 ° - 115 ° every day. No rain. Very little water to be found. What little water there was had been poisoned by enemy soldiers. The ships couldn't supply any water to the Marines as enemy attacks had forced them away from the island. It was Peleliu Island in September 1944.

"For the rest of your life, you appreciate a glass of clean water."

I'm not an advocate of war. It happens. Wars can be senseless and destructive and cruel, but it happens.

I can't say that I particularly enjoy watching a movie or mini-series about World War II (or any other war, for that matter). There are three, however, that I would recommend. All three have been driven by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.
 

When I saw the first 30 minutes of Saving Private Ryan, I felt numb. Once the movie cut to the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6/6/44, it's depiction of the battle at Omaha Beach was unflinchingly realistic - the blood and bodies and limbs were all over the screen. It wasn't glorious, it was numbing. Very unlike previous WWII movies. The rest of the movie was good but I didn't forget the shock of that first 30 minutes. I still get the chills every time I see it.

The second one I recommend is Band of Brothers which tells the history of Easy Company in WWII. As it lasted 10 hours, a lot more could be showcased. In this case, they showcased quite a number of characters. In a sense, it was a quasi-documentary. As with Private Ryan, the combat scences are hard hitting.

The third one is The Pacific which focuses the on the war against the Japanese. Clocking in at 10 hours, it focused primarily on three soldiers thus giving a much more intimate view of the war through their eyes. Less gore in this one compared to the previous two, but that isn't to say that there's little of it or that it's not realistic. There's much greater focus on the effects of war on the soldiers' mental and moral capacities.

The truth is, I can't say that I enjoyed watching any of the three I've just recommended. 'Enjoy' isn't quite the right word. But I would recommend them because it's the most realistic depiction of war that I've seen on TV or the movies. Or to be more specific, the most realistic depiction of the horrors of combat. These three are more than just TV or the movies, they are an experience retold which helps me to appreciate what I have.

"For the rest of your life, you appreciate a glass of clean water."